This conference will bring together industry, academic and government leaders[unreadable] involved in the discovery and development of novel antibacterial agents,[unreadable] biodefense, public policy and infection control procedures. Antibacterial[unreadable] resistance has spread globally at an alarming rate, continues to increase, and[unreadable] presents a tremendous global health challenge. Multi-drug resistance has[unreadable] become commonplace in many disease-causing bacteria. Infections that were[unreadable] once easy to treat are becoming difficult, and in some cases, impossible to treat[unreadable] and people are suffering severe illness or dying as a consequence. There is an[unreadable] acute need for novel antibacterials to combat this growing resistance.[unreadable] Therapeutically, antibacterials are unique compared to most other classes of[unreadable] drugs, due to the fact that resistance eventually renders these agents less[unreadable] efficacious with continued use. New effective antibacterial agents and therapies[unreadable] will therefore be needed on a continuing basis. Unfortunately, this new[unreadable] generation of antibacterials has proven extremely difficult to discover and[unreadable] develop. The pipeline of new antibacterials is drying up, industry has been exiting[unreadable] the field, and regulatory issues have made it harder and more expensive to get[unreadable] approvals. Future progress in the discovery and development of efficacious[unreadable] antibacterials will require the intense collaboration of researchers from many[unreadable] disciplines in academia, and the biotech and pharma industries, as well as the[unreadable] involvement of policy makers and regulators. This conference will focus on the[unreadable] problems that stand in the way of successful sustained antibacterial discovery[unreadable] and development, as well as the innovation necessary to deliver these much[unreadable] needed new drugs to patients. There will be a sub-focus on technical and[unreadable] sociological barriers in creating diagnostics for infectious diseases in resource[unreadable] poor settings.